novelSusiti Chapter 15 Old Li, what are you looking at? Give me the money!
Chapter 15 Old Li, what are you looking at? Give me the money!
Chang'an City, suburbs.
Lin Chuan was very excited that day because Empress Zhangsun invited him to go on an outing together.
Guanyinbi was very satisfied with Lin Chuan's performance; he had brought her much honor.
After all, the civil and military officials were all advising Li Er that Guanyinbi would become the second Zhao Ji, which made her very angry.
Now, Lin Chuan's poem has shut them all up.
The matter concerning Consort Yang has left her in a bad mood lately, and this outing is exactly the kind of opportunity she needs to clear her head.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress."
Upon seeing the carriage arrive, Lin Chuan immediately bowed slightly in greeting.
"Come in!"
A moment later, Empress Zhangsun's gentle voice came from inside the carriage.
The scene caused the surrounding palace maids, eunuchs, and guards to show expressions of surprise.
To be able to ride in the same carriage as the Empress was an honor that even the highest-ranking officials of the court could hardly obtain, except for the Emperor.
But Lin Chuan, being a eunuch, enjoyed this kind of treatment.
How could this not arouse envy and jealousy from others?
The carriage moved slowly along the official road.
Inside the carriage, Lin Chuan and Empress Zhangsun sat facing each other.
The queen wore a light blue dress, her hair was styled in a high bun, and her hair fell over her shoulders. Her appearance was stunning.
"Ogawa, you did a great job."
Guanyinbi smiled and said to Lin Chuan.
She had read the poem about climbing to a high place, and it was indeed admirable. This made her very satisfied; she felt she had truly found a treasure.
Upon hearing this, Lin Chuan immediately replied with a smile, "It's all thanks to Your Majesty's favor."
Guanyinbi was very pleased to hear this. The reason she favored Lin Chuan so much was not only because of his superb massage skills, but also because he knew how to please people.
Suddenly, the carriage began to shake violently, almost overturning.
"Your Majesty, be careful!"
Upon seeing this, Lin Chuan immediately rushed over.
The carriage jolted again.
Guanyinbi's face turned pale, her brows furrowed, and she was furious at the coachman's driving skills. Was this guy trying to exhaust her to death?
"Is Your Highness alright?"
Lin Chuan's gentle voice followed immediately.
Guanyinbi shook her head upon hearing this. Although her brows were still furrowed, she knew that Lin Chuan meant well, and that this little Chuanzi was indeed clever.
Lin Chuan noticed the change in Guanyinbi's expression and immediately stepped aside respectfully.
……
The carriage soon stopped, and a lake came into view.
Lin Chuan got out of the carriage first, then took on the role of a palace maid, gently extending the tip of her right hand.
Guanyin smiled upon seeing this and unceremoniously helped Lin Chuan out of the carriage.
She became increasingly satisfied with Lin Chuan, believing that he was more caring than Li Er.
The two then took a walk along the riverbank.
"Your Majesty, I am willing to help you resolve your troubles."
Lin Chuan noticed that Guanyinbi's mood had improved, so he spoke up.
"To solve your problems?"
Guanyinbi stopped in her tracks upon hearing this.
"That Consort Yang is nothing but a remnant of the previous dynasty, yet she dares to oppose Your Majesty."
"I am very angry about this. I only tolerated it temporarily because of her status as a concubine."
"But now it seems like a good opportunity to monitor her."
Lin Chuan responded immediately, seemingly angry on the surface, but actually had other plans in mind.
He still held expectations for Consort Yang, hoping to gain something beneficial from her, and did not want to easily sever ties with her.
Therefore, Lin Chuan devised a plan to persuade Guanyinbi to let him become a spy.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, Xiao Chuanzi will always be loyal to you."
Lin Chuan spoke again, clearly stating his position.
Guanyinbi hesitated for a moment. To be honest, she was very dissatisfied with Consort Yang. She had been holding back her anger in the past, but now she was taking action frequently.
Since we criticized Consort Yang last time, she might cause trouble again.
Sending Lin Chuan to monitor Consort Yang would be a good idea, and Lin Chuan has already shown his loyalty.
"agree."
Guanyinbi immediately replied, but she also warned Lin Chuan that if he betrayed her, the consequences would be dire.
Lin Chuan chuckled and vowed that he would never betray anyone.
Then, he helped Guanyinbi continue forward.
……
East Market, Tea Shop.
After bidding farewell to Guanyinbi, Lin Chuan immediately returned.
He immediately changed into a turban, then prepared a carriage to go to Penglai Palace and deep into the inner palace.
After being criticized by Guanyinbi last time, Consort Yang faced even greater ostracism, and even the palace eunuchs and maids were too afraid to approach her.
This made the Penglai Palace appear even more lifeless, gloomy, and terrifying.
"Aren't you afraid that Guanyinbi will blame you?"
"Or are you someone she sent to spy on me?"
Behind the screen, Consort Yang lay on her side on the couch and asked without expression.
"I'm just a eunuch, how could I possibly deserve the Empress's attention?"
Lin Chuan stood in the middle of the corridor and responded directly.
"Oh?"
Upon hearing this, Consort Yang revealed a slight, disdainful smile.
Lin Chuan's purpose was not important, because she disliked ambiguity and concealment.
She held Lin Chuan in genuine respect; his medical skills were indeed effective.
"come over."
Consort Yang raised her hand slightly from behind the screen, showing no concern for Lin Chuan's purpose.
Even though Lin Chuan's visit was for surveillance purposes, she still wanted to thank him for his concern.
Lin Chuan was, after all, skilled at conditioning his body.
Upon hearing the call, Lin Chuan responded and quickly walked over in small steps.
Consort Yang remained beautiful and captivating, but unlike the dignified Guanyinbi, she possessed a sickly yet heroic spirit.
This is likely due to the excessive yin energy resulting from prolonged life in the palace.
It seems that Li Er has not favored her for a long time, otherwise he wouldn't be like this.
Lin Chuan couldn't help but feel sympathy.
"How should I take care of myself today?"
Consort Yang asked, resting her chin on her hand, "It's clearly not the time to bathe and change clothes now."
"To soothe the Empress's acupoints and meridians."
Upon hearing this, Lin Chuan immediately stated that both traditional Chinese medicine and Thai massage must adhere to the principle of the body's natural circulation.
It should not be done for an extended period of time, otherwise it will only harm your health.
East Market, Tea Shop.
Several days have passed since I last went to Penglai Palace to treat Consort Yang's health.
These past few days have been unusually calm; even Guanyinbi hasn't summoned him.
"Utterly boring!"
Lin Chuan sighed in disappointment. Not far from his shop was a famous brothel, where all the courtesans were beautiful and charming.
He wanted to try it more than once, but was worried about being discovered.
After all, it was unusual for a eunuch to go to a brothel. If it were discovered that he had not been castrated, the matter would become a big deal.
"Old Trump, I'm here."
At this moment, Old Li's straightforward voice rang out.
Old Sun also arrived.
These two regular customers felt right at home when they visited the tea shop, requiring no further explanation from Lin Chuan.
"Old Chuan, are you aware that there's a locust plague in the Chang'an area recently?"
Li Er sat down and immediately got to the point.
He hasn't been to the tea plantation lately because the locust plague has been giving him a major headache.
Fortunately, the locust plague was not large in scale, and it was discovered in time and handled properly, so the problem has been basically resolved.
"I know, it's all thanks to the Emperor's wisdom, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."
Lin Chuan nodded after hearing this. This year, Hedong Province suffered a severe drought, which was followed by a locust plague.
Although it was not large in scale, he had not mentioned it before, and he had to express his appreciation for Li Er's attitude in dealing with it.
After all, Li Er had already sworn to suffer for the people of the world.
Seeing Lin Chuan's strong support, Li Er's smile grew even brighter.
"However, the severe drought in Hadong Province has already led to a complete crop failure."
Now, with the locust plague, the situation is even worse!
Li Er soon felt disappointed, as the continuous natural disasters made life extremely difficult for the people.
Although there is still grain in the granary, this is only a temporary measure and cannot solve the problem at all.
Lin Chuan remained silent on this matter.
During the Tang Dynasty, crops were indeed scarce and yields were low.
He is powerless now, after all, where can he find sweet potatoes and potatoes?
We can only take action after the system is activated.
"Old Trump, do you have any ideas on how to solve this problem?"
Finally, Li Er asked with a serious expression. He no longer held out much hope and just wanted to see if Lin Chuan had any ideas.
Lin Chuan frowned upon hearing this.
"Even you can't do anything about it?"
This scene weighed heavily on Li Er's mind. He had originally thought that Lin Chuan would have a solution, but now it seemed hopeless.
Old Sun, standing nearby, was not surprised, because he believed that the emperor was too superstitious about Lin Chuan, even though Lin Chuan did have some talent.
It's impossible to be an expert in everything, otherwise he wouldn't be a eunuch.
There are ways to treat these symptoms, but they can only alleviate them and cannot solve the problem at its root.
After a while, Lin Chuan smiled.
"We can't solve the problem of low crop yields right now, but we can improve work efficiency."
"Say it!"
Li Er was overjoyed and hurriedly asked more questions.
Old Sun was also stunned, wondering if Lin Chuan really knew about agriculture.
He said to Old Li, "You're in business, you should know that although the Tang Dynasty is currently peaceful and prosperous, it is still inferior to the Sui Dynasty in many aspects."
"One of the reasons is the continuous wars. The most obvious example is the severe shortage of oxen for plowing. There may be less than 5,000 oxen in the whole country."
"Without oxen, it is very difficult for farmers to cultivate the land, and the straight-shafted long-shafted plows that are currently used are also very laborious."
Lin Chuan took a sip of tea and spoke slowly.
Suddenly, Li Er's expression changed, and his eyes were filled with shock.
Old Sun, standing nearby, was astonished; Lin Chuan's performance was unbelievable to him!
The number of draft cattle nationwide is indeed scarce, and the Ministry of Works' statistics are consistent with Lin Chuan's guess.
This is classified information, and Lin Chuan, as a eunuch, actually dared to reveal it. He's really something!
awesome!
"So, what exactly is your brilliant idea, Mr. Trump?"
Li Er asked anxiously, a question that had been troubling him since the founding of the nation.
Despite his jealousy, he had to admire the achievements of the Sui Dynasty.
Therefore, he always urged himself to make the Tang Dynasty even more prosperous!
However, no solution could be found. Despite having a wealth of talented civil and military officials under his command, no one could speak up when it mattered most.
"I have a way to improve work efficiency."
Lin Chuan glanced at Old Li and thought he didn't seem like a shrewd businessman, but more like a rough man.
He even thought it was a real pity that someone as talented as Lao Li didn't become an official.
"What method?"
Li Er was overjoyed, and Old Sun beside him was also full of anticipation.
Then, Lin Chuan got up and took out Xuan paper and brush from the counter.
"Let me grind the ink for you."
Upon seeing this, Li Er immediately rolled up his sleeves and took action himself, much to the surprise of Old Sun who was standing nearby.
This treatment is truly amazing!
Soon after, Lin Chuan put down his brush, and a tool pattern appeared on the rice paper.
"Isn't this just a straight-shafted plow?"
Li Er and Lao Sun were confused for a moment because they couldn't tell the difference.
"It's normal that you can't tell; you two are just complete idiots!"
Lin Chuan smiled and shook his head, jokingly saying, "This is a curved plow that has been improved from a straight plow, which can greatly reduce the amount of labor required."
Upon hearing this, Li Er couldn't help but twitch his facial muscles. In the entire world, only Lin Chuan dared to call him an "iron fool."
He wasn't angry because Lin Chuan's explanation convinced him.
If Lin Chuan's words are true, then it is indeed a remarkable achievement.
He quickly folded the Xuan paper and put it in his pocket.
"Old Li, this is an invention that can make you a lot of money, I'm generously giving it to you."
"How do you plan to express it?"
Lin Chuan revealed a sly smile and asked Old Li directly.
"no problem!"
Upon hearing this, Li Er immediately understood and waved for Lao Sun to pay.
"No need, it's free this time."
Lin Chuan immediately stopped Lao Sun, his smile widening.
This puzzled Li Er and Lao Sun, who wore expressions of confusion.
After all, in their eyes, Lin Chuan was a person who valued money a lot. In the past, he would even pay for tea on the spot. Why was he suddenly so generous today?
Clearly, this curved plow could indeed make a profit if sold.
"What's with those expressions?"
"We're all old friends, talking about money will hurt our feelings."
"I, Lin Chuan, am not a petty person."
Lin Chuan spoke with a straight face, but Li Er and the others did not believe him at all and demanded that he speak directly and not beat around the bush.
"Hey, it's nothing really."
"I just wanted to ask Lao Li, do you have any daughters? Could you introduce me to a few?"
Lin Chuan said somewhat awkwardly.
He had known Lao Li for so long and understood their personalities. Besides, they were just businessmen who didn't know his secrets, so there was no problem in revealing them.
But Li Er and Lao Sun were shocked when they heard this. Lin Chuan thought they didn't know, but in fact they already knew he was a eunuch.
Now you're asking me for a daughter? What are you trying to do?
Li Er was extremely surprised and almost blurted out: What would a eunuch need a woman for?
Fortunately, the reaction was swift, otherwise they would have been exposed.
"What do you need a woman for?"
Li Er coughed a few times, then asked with a puzzled look on his face.
He began to doubt Lin Chuan's true identity, thinking that Lin Chuan might be a fake eunuch.
If that's true, then the problem is serious.
At this moment, Old Sun also held his breath in tension.
"My tea shop is of average size, and it's really hard work to run it all by myself."
"If someone can help, that would be best."
"Besides, Lao Li, I'm doing this for your own good. Although you're a businessman, you're not in a good situation."
Lin Chuan decided to proceed with caution, after all, the identity of the fake eunuch was no small matter.
If the news reaches the palace, he might not even be able to save his life.
Upon hearing this, Li Er and Lao Sun immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
If Lin Chuan expresses his desire to marry a woman, the consequences will be unimaginable. The fake eunuch's attempt to get close to the Empress is malicious!
Even if Lin Chuan is talented, Li Er might still be furious.
"Old Trump, let me tell you, I don't have a daughter."
Li Er concluded by saying that he regretted it; if he had known earlier that Lao Chuan was talented, he would not have let him suffer the punishment of castration.
"Old Sun, what about you?"
"Seven or eight isn't enough, but one will do!"
Lin Chuan said disappointedly, and then asked Lao Sun.
Old Sun immediately shook his head and said, "You're joking. My daughter may not be as noble as a princess, but she's been pampered since childhood. She's not going to work for you to make a living."
If this gets out, all the civil and military officials will laugh their heads off.
Where do I, the Minister of Personnel, put my face?
……
"You're all so stingy."
"Give me the money!"
Lin Chuan was speechless. He glared at them and then spread his hands.
Since you don't have a daughter to introduce, then let's not stand on ceremony.